Plow-type cutter conveyor combination having slack coal clearing means



March 26, 1957 J. G. KRAPELS 2,786,662

PLOW-TYPE CUTTER CONVEYOR COMBINATION HAVING SLACK COAL CLEARING MEANS Filed July 12, 1954 Johannes G-Egapel's A TTOR/VEYS.

' ,ffara i ii Ma -j '6. 19s.?

PLOW-TYPE CUTTER CONVEYOR COMBlNATION HAVING SLACK COAL CLEARING MEANS Johannes G. Krapels, Galeeu, Netherlands, assignor to Stamicarbon N. V., Heerlen, Netherlands The present invention relates to cutter-conveyor combinations suitable for use in coal mining, and more particularly to cutter-conveyor combinations of the type comprising a conveyor adapted to be installed parallel with the mine face, and a cutter adapted to be reciprocated along one side of the conveyor'so as to cut material from the mine face for loading on the conveyor.

With conventional conveyors having a mechanical coal cutter, for example, a coal plow having one or more cutting blades which work along the floor of the seam, it has been found that the blades often tend to force slack coal under the adjacent side wall of the conveyor. As a result, the wall and the coal-cutter guided therealong are lifted up a little and as the cutter continues to operate, it will cut into the coal on a slightly higher level. sequently, the cutter and conveyor climb upwards through the coal seam as the coal mining advances and more and more coal is left on the bottom of the seam.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cutter-conveyor combination of the type described having improved means for. preventing slack coal or other material from being forced inwardly under the conveyor wall. j t 1 7 Another object of the present invention is the provision of a combined conveyor and cutter having a floor tool adapted to clear away slack coal or other material from under the adjacent side wall of the conveyor so as to prevent the combined' cutter and conveyor from climbing upwards as it advances into the mine face.

A further'object of the invention is the provision of a combined conveyor and cutter which may be easily assembledand operated, is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims.

The invention may best be understood with reference to the" accompanying drawings'wherein' illustrative embodiments are shown. I" "l I .lnthedrawings:

Figure l is a transverse"cross-section through a coal conveyor assembly;

Figure 2 is a view of the coal plow from the side which lies against the coal face;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the coal plow partially broken away to illustrate the bottom plate;

Figure 4 is a top plan view showing a modified construction of the bottom plate; and

Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the connection of the cutting tools to the body of the plow.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in Figure l a device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention which includes in general a cutter or coal plow 1 and a conveyor 5. The plow 1 is preferably mounted on the conveyor for reciprocation along one side thereof by a guide connection and to this end, the coal plow is provided with rearwardly Con .2 I extending spaced portions 2 and 3 which cooperate with a guide rail 6 carried by the conveyor.

The conveyor 5 preferably includes two side walls 4 and 4 connected at their midportions by a horizontal plate'16 so as to form an upper and lower trough. As shown, the guide rail6 is secured to the conveyor alongside side wall 4. The coal deposited in the upper part ot' the trough may be transported by means of' suitable scraper blades 17 which are attached to endless chains 181 The cutter or coal plow 1 is preferably reciprocated along the guide rail 6 by means of suitable cables 23 which may be operated by conventional winches,- not shown. The plow is preferably arranged to cut in both directions of travel and may include a built-up plow body 24 having oppositely inclined cutting tools or blades- 13 mounted thereon. As shown in Figure 5, the tools 13. are preferably adjustably mounted on an inclined plate the plow body 24 by means of bolts 19 extending through suitable apertures in the tool and cooperating, elongated slots 21 formed in the plow body. Nuts 20 may be tight ened' on the bolts 19 so that the cutting tool may beadjusted higher or lower with respect to the plow body. Each of the tools 13 includes a bottom cutting edge 10 adapted to cut along the floor of the mine seam.

Suitably secured as by bolts 8, along the underside-of the plow body is a horizontal bottom plate 7 having its lower surface substantially aligned with the bottom cut ting edge 16. The upper surface 11 of the bottom plate ison a level'with the lower edge 12 of the side Wall 4 so that the latter will be spaced above the floor of the seam adjacent the cutter. Where certain conditions exist in the floor of the seam, the bottom plate may be removed, in which case the bottom cutting edge 10 is adjusted into alignment with the lower edge 12.

As shown in Figure 4, the bottom plate 7 may be modified so as to provide opposite cutting edges 22 for working along the floor of the seam. With this modified constructlon, the cutting tools 13 need not be adjustably mounted on the plow body but are preferably positioned so that the cutting edges 22 are in alignment therewith.

Extending rearwardly from the bottom plate 7 beneath the side wall 4 of the conveyor 5 is a pair of projecting clearer parts 9 of reduced thickness. The parts 9 have their lower surfaces on the same level as the lower surface of the bottom plate, however, their upper surfaces are below the level of the upper surface of the bottom plate. Consequently, the projecting parts 9 may extend beneath the side wall 4 of the conveyor without contacting the lower edge 12 thereof.

Each of the clearer parts 9 includes a front edge 14 inclined to the direction of travel of the plow so that any slack coal present under the'adjacent side wall 4 is pushed aside. In the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 3 each front edge is disposed at anacute angle, of approximatel y 45", to the direction of travel-of the plow. Consequently, during operation, the slack deal will be shifted in the direction of the coal face and subsequently dumped into the conveyor by the plow.

In the modified embodiment shown in Figure 4, the front edge 14 of each projecting part 9 is disposed at an obtuse angle of approximately to the direction of travel of the plow so that any slack coal present under the side wall 4 of the conveyor is pushed into the lower trough or space between the side walls of the conveyor when the coal plow passes.

As the plow cuts in both directions of travel, the projecting parts 9, being symmetrical with respect to the center line a-a of the plow, alternatively serve as the foremost clearer for removing slack coal from below the side wall 4. Any slack coal that may have passed through the space between the lower edge 12 of the side wall and the upper surface of the foremost projecting part 9 is pushed aside by the other clearer part. To this end, the rear edge of each clearer part 9 is inclined at an angle to the direction of plow travel so that the slack coal will be pushed sideways into the lower trough or space between the side walls of the conveyor as the clearer part passes.

It can thus be seen that the present invention contemplates a combination of the type described wherein alongside each cutting tool which works along the floor of the seam, there is provided a clearer part which, when the cutter and the conveyor are assembled, extends under the adjacent side wall of the conveyor. In use, the clearer parts prevent slack coal or other material from being forced inwardly under the side wall by the appertaining cutting tool. It is to be noted that the movement of the cutter will cause the side wall to lift, by local tilting of the conveyor, as the cutter passes.

Each clearer part is formed so that any slack coal or other material which gets under the side of the conveyor during the shifting of the conveyor is cleared away to one side when the cutter passes. To this end, each clearer part is formed with its front edge inclined at an angle to the direction of travel of the cutter in such a way that any slack coal present under the side wall in the path of the said part, is removed in the direction of the mine face.

Moreover, the clearer parts extending under the side wall do not make contact with the wall. This clearance is maintained because the guide connection between the cutter and the conveyor is arranged to lift and support the adjacent side of the conveyor as the cutter passes. With this arrangement there is less friction than would be the case if the side wall of the conveyor rested on the underlying clearer parts. Moreover, the danger of the clearer parts becoming stuck at the junction of adjoining sections of the conveyor, when the latter is laid across a downfold or an upfold of the seam, is avoided or substantially reduced.

The resistance set up by the guide connection which causes a slight lifting of the near side of the conveyor when the mining machine passes, is, of course, greater than with a guide connection which does not necessitate such lifting of the conveyor. Therefore, the present invention provides for the ready detachment of the clearer parts which underlie the wall of the conveyor so that if the mining machine is used in a seam where it does not tend to climb, owing to the direction of the cleavage planes in the coal, the hardness of the coal or to other favorable conditions, the clearer parts may be removed, so that the near side wall of the conveyor remains supported on the floor.

To this end, the clearer parts 9 are formed from a plate detachably connected to the bottom of the plow body so that when the plate is in position, the near side of the conveyor is supported off the floor. The supported weight is transmitted to the cutter through the guide connection when in use and when the plate is removed, the cutter and the side wall of the conveyor alongside the cutter rest on the floor.

The cutter-conveyor combination may include a single cutter or two or more cutters reciprocating in series. It is also to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as the preferred embodiments of the same and that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

' 1. In combination a conveyor having spaced side walls, and a cutter mounted for movement along one of said side walls by a guide connection, said guide connection mounting said cutter on said conveyor so that the one side wall thereof is locally supported by the cutter and is lifted by local tilting of the conveyor as the cutter moves therealong, said cutter having a part extending under said one side wall and terminating short of the other side wall for preventing slack material from being forced inwardly under said one side wall by said cutter, the upper surface of said part being spaced below the lower edge of said one side wall so that said part will remain out of contact with said one side wall as the cutter moves therealong.

2. A combination of the character described in claim 1 wherein said cutter part includes a front edge inclined at an angle to the direction of cutter travel whereby loose material disposed under said one side wall will be pushed to one side as the cutter passes thereby.

3. A combination of the character described in claim 2 wherein said front edge is inclined at an acute angle to the direction of cutter travel whereby said loose material will be pushed outwardly towards the cutter.

4. A combination of the character described in claim 2 wherein said front edge is inclined at an obtuse angle to the direction of cutter travel whereby said loose material will be pushed inwardly away from the cutter.

5. A combination of the character described in claim 1 wherein said cutter includes a body and a plate detachably fastened to the bottom portion of said body, said plate carrying said part.

6. A combination of the character described in claim 5 wherein the bottom of the cutter body is disposed in substantial alignment with the bottom of said one side wall.

7. A combination of the character described in claim 6 wherein said cutter is provided with a cutting tool, said tool being adjustable so that the bottom thereof may be positioned in alignment with either the top or bottom surface of said plate.

8. A combination of the character described in claim 6 wherein said cutter is provided with a cutting tool and wherein said plate includes a cutting edge aligned with the bottom of said cutting tool.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

